NATIVE TIMES

TULSA, Okla. – Week 1 of Angel Goodrich’s professional basketball career is officially in the books.

Along with 17 other women, Goodrich, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the highest drafted Native American woman in WNBA history, reported for the Tulsa Shock’s training camp May 5 at Edison High School. Despite excelling during her playing days at the University of Kansas, the Sequoyah alumna said there was a steep learning curve compared to preseason work at the college level.

“I was told that there’d be a lot of stuff thrown at you and that’s exactly what happened,” she said. “There’s a lot of new information. I feel like I need to go and write some things down to remember it all.

“It’s a lot more aggressive here. These are grown women here, so it’s different. That’s the biggest difference right now.”

In the team’s preseason debut Thursday against the Atlanta Dream, Goodrich did not score, but had one rebound, one assist and one turnover in almost 14 minutes of playing time. The Shock lost 72-58.

By May 23, the Shock roster will be trimmed down to 11 players. Among the 18 women invited to training camp are nine players from the team’s 2012 roster and former University of Texas forward Tiffany Jackson-Jones, who had 11 double-doubles for Tulsa during the 2011 season and sat out the 2012 campaign due to pregnancy. After the first week of camp, two rookie free agents, forwards Vicky Baugh and Brittany Spears, were cut.

“We have some open spots,” Tulsa Shock coach Gary Kloppenburg said. “That’s why you have camp. You’re always looking to see if a young player can come in and give you something. It’s really competitive and we feel like it’s wide-open at a couple of different spots. There are some opportunities for rookies to come in.”

Training camp runs through May 14 and is closed to the public. After preseason games at Seattle and Los Angeles, Tulsa will open the regular season on May 25 in Atlanta.

Tulsa Shock draft selection Angel Goodrich (Cherokee) practices during a Shock training camp session in Tulsa, Okla. Goodrich, a former standout at Sequoyah High School in Tahelquah and the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., is vying for a spot on the Shock’s 2013 roster. The Shock’s homer opener is May 27 against the Washington Mystics.

LENZY KREHBIEL-BURTON | NATIVE TIMES PHOTO

Attendees will receive a resource toolkit that includes pamphlets, scripts for public service announcements, posters and fact sheets about the medication, which is not synonymous with RU-486, the so-called “abortion pill.”

TULSA, Okla. – One organization is bringing its campaign to improve women’s reproductive health in Indian Country back to Oklahoma.

The Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center, based out of Lake Andes, S.D., is hosting two free workshops in Oklahoma on emergency contraception and its availability through Indian Health Services.

The first session is scheduled for May 14 at the Lawton Indian Hospital, located at 1515 N. Lawrie Tatum Road. The second is scheduled for May 16 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Catoosa, Okla., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Open to the public, attendees are asked to reserve a seat by contacting Maya Torrelba at mayatorrelba@gmail.com in order to ensure enough lunches are ordered.

“When we were in Oklahoma last time, it was astounding that there was so many myths around what emergency contraception is all about and a lot of them had gotten that impression from the opposition – right wing, religious right and even the media,” NAWHERC director Charon Asetoyer said. “What we realized is that we have to go in and de-mystify these myths about what emergency contraception is.”

The workshops will focus on providing information about emergency contraception, what it does and does not do and what the restrictions are in place concerning its use. Attendees will receive a resource toolkit that includes pamphlets, scripts for public service announcements, posters and fact sheets about the medication, which is not synonymous with RU-486, the so-called “abortion pill.”

“One of the things we have to remember is that emergency contraception can reduce the number of abortions that occur,” Asetoyer said. “If you’ve been sexually assaulted, an abortion is a potential residual effect of that and we want to minimize that trauma.

“If it’s just a matter of taking emergency contraception, it can reduce the amount of trauma and won’t force a victim to deal with that potential consequence. In Indian Country, one in three Native women will be raped – we want to do everything possible to ensure she’s not facing additional trauma.”

A 2012 NAWHERC survey of 63 IHS pharmacies in the Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Aberdeen, S.D., and Bemidiji, Minn., service areas showed that almost half carried some form of emergency contraception – either Plan B or its generic counterpart  -- but did not have it available over the counter, despite the Food and Drug Administration eliminating the prescription requirement in 2006 for women older than 18. Earlier this year, the prescription requirement was eliminated for women age 15 and older.

Among the pharmacies surveyed, only four had a version of the emergency contraception available as a true over the counter medication, not requiring a doctor’s appointment or prescription. Forty-three percent did not carry any form of emergency contraception, despite the fact that one out of every three Native American women will be raped in her lifetime.           

The survey, coupled with an open records request from the Native American Community Board and the American Civil Liberties Union for IHS’ written policies, procedures, directives and requirements for emergency contraception dispensation, prompted Indian Health Services to make the medication more readily available over the counter this year, but a written policy is still not in place.           

“Most of the IHS pharmacies are now providing emergency contraception over the counter,” Asetoyer said. “Not all, but most.

“IHS does not have total control over the tribally-run facilities, which is even more of a reason for us to go in and do this education, share this info so people will advocate for it within their tribally-run facilities.”

Similar workshops are scheduled for July 17 in Albuquerque and July 19 in Espanola Valley, N.M. Planning efforts are tentatively underway to offer the workshop in additional states in the future.

However, there is still some question as to who will be conducting the election since two separate election commissions have sent out notices to accept candidacy filings and voter registration forms.

CONCHO, Okla. – The Bureau of Indian Affairs will be involved in the Cheyenne and Arapaho’s upcoming election, but logistics of how such a move will work are still undetermined.

In a letter dated May 1 from the Department of the Interior, Deputy Bureau Director Hankie Ortiz wrote on behalf of BIA director Michael Black that the bureau would monitor the tribes’ election later this year. Tribal Councils called by each of the tribes’ factions had previously adopted resolutions requesting that the BIA conduct the 2013 election rather than the tribes’ election commission.

“Although the Tribal Council has requested the BIA conduct the election, the BIA will limit its involvement to providing technical assistance and monitoring,” Ortiz wrote. “Specifically, the BIA may offer technical advice in election procedures, serve as a monitor for the counting of ballots and assist with certification of election results.”

The constitutionally-bound tribes have been dealing with a leadership schism for more than two years. Multiple appeals on the split and its implications are pending before the Interior Board of Indian Appeals but no timeline has been given on a ruling.

Despite the BIA’s promise to monitor the election, there is still some question as to who will be conducting it as each administration’s election commission has sent out notices that as the constitutional election board, it is accepting candidacy filings and voter registration forms. The election commission affiliated with Janice Prairie Chief-Boswell’s administration is working out of the tribes’ complex in Concho, Okla. The commission recognized by Leslie Wandrie-Harjo’s administration has an office in El Reno, Okla., and a post office box in Weatherford, Okla.

Each side’s election commission has at least one open seat. In the letter, Ortiz asks that the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Council designate enough tribal citizens to ensure representation for all eight of the tribes’ districts.

Jane Nightwalker, speaker for the legislature affiliated with the Wandrie-Harjo administration, said a petition is being circulated to get enough tribal citizens’ signatures for a special council meeting, but could not give a timeline for when that meeting would be. As per the Cheyenne and Arapaho constitution, at least 15 days’ notice must be given for a special council meeting after a petition with at least 150 tribal citizens’ signatures is filed with the Tribal Council coordinator.

Lisa Liebl, spokeswoman for the Prairie Chief-Boswell administration, said their side would fill the remaining election commission seats through its legislature.

“The legislature is going to appoint more commissioners in the coming days,” she said. “At that juncture, all eight commission seats will be filled and each district will be represented on the election board. A collaboration with the El Reno group is not on the table.”

As per the tribes’ constitution, the candidates’ filing period began last Wednesday and closes June 1. The primary election is scheduled for Oct. 8 and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 5. Along with four legislative positions, the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are up for election this year.

“This will probably wind up in court, but I don’t think any of us thought that this would go on this long,” Nightwalker said.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs did not respond to requests for comment or additional information.




Leslie Wandrie-Harjo, left, and Janice Prairie Chief-Boswell were once political allies and elected together to govern the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Their split resulted in two separate tribal governments.

FILE PHOTO

OKLAHOMA CITY – Despite a written request from multiple tribal leaders, Oklahoma’s governor is staying quiet on how her office is handling tobacco compact negotiations with the state’s tribes.

On April 23, the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas sent a letter to Gov. Mary Fallin’s office, asking for an explanation by April 30 as to why she has not been participating in the tobacco compact negotiating process and why extending existing compacts is not an option for the more than 20 tribes whose agreements with the state expire June 30.

Gov. Fallin’s general counsel, Steve Mullins, has been the state’s lead negotiator in compact talks.

Sac and Fox Principal Chief and UINOKT Chairman George Thurman confirmed via email that the organization did not receive a response by the deadline and would determine its next action at its May meeting. The organization counts more than 30 tribal governments among its members.

To date, only two tribes, the Kaw Nation and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, have signed new compacts this year, both of which take effect July 1. Neither new compact includes most favored nation clauses nor border tax rates, which the governor’s office has publicly come out against. Several tribal leaders have publicly spoken against the terms of those compacts, including a provision that calls for the state to receive half of the tax revenue from the tribes’ tobacco sales.

The organization has also asked that the state confine discussions to tobacco compacts only. Both the Kaw Nation and Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes signed burn ban agreements with their tobacco compacts earlier this year. Gov. Fallin’s office has maintained that it did not initiate those discussions, contrary to comments by leaders from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, who negotiated a tobacco compact last year.

Gov. Fallin’s office did not respond to requests for comment.



FILE PHOTO

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and Kaw Nation Chairman Guy Munroe sign the tribe’s renewed tobacco compact March 11.

• Ortiz’s book, “The Great Sioux Nation” has been re-released in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Wounded Knee. The book stems from her time with AIM during the standoff in 1973 and its aftermath.


TULSA, Okla. – Author and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz brought a slice of the American Indian Movement to the University of Tulsa last week.

Through a partnership with the University of Tulsa and the Tulsa City-County Library System, Dunbar-Ortiz spoke to a standing room only crowd April 29 at TU’s Chapman Hall. Her first book, “The Great Sioux Nation: An Oral History of the Sioux Nation and its Struggle for Sovereignty,” was published in 1977 and was later presented as a fundamental document at the first international conference on Indians of the Americas, held at the United Nations’ headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Going to the UN was somewhat controversial,” she said. “Some of the elders thought it was rash, but it needed to be done.”

The book stems from her time with AIM during the Wounded Knee standoff in 1973 and its aftermath. Dunbar-Ortiz was among those called to testify during the December 1974 hearing on whether the United States government had jurisdiction over actions committed on Sioux land.

“It was packed in the courtroom,” she said. “There wasn’t a jury, so we filled the jury box with elders. There was an encampment outside the courthouse with at least 4,000 people.

“I was surrounded by Vine Deloria and Lakota elders who told me I’d have the ‘privilege’ of converting the court transcripts into a book.”

In conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Wounded Knee, Dunbar-Ortiz’ publisher, University of Nebraska press, is re-releasing her book with a new forward, along with a new edition of the autobiography of the judge who heard the case Dunbar-Ortiz’s book is primarily based on.

All royalties from the sale of the new edition of “The Great Sioux Nation” will go to the Defenders of the Black Hills, a non-profit organization based out of Rapid City, S.D., that works to ensure all the provisions of the Fort Laramie treaties of 1851 and 1868 are upheld by the federal government. The treaties guaranteed the Black Hills in perpetuity to the Sioux Nation and were the subject of the 1980 Supreme Court decision United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians, which awarded several million dollars to the tribe. To date, the Sioux Nation has refused to take the money on the grounds it would terminate its claim to the property.

“They’re not exactly an organization that can go get foundation money or federal grant dollars,” she said.

All royalties from the sale of the new edition of “The Great Sioux Nation” will go to the Defenders of the Black Hills, a non-profit organization based out of Rapid City, S.D., that works to ensure all the provisions of the Fort Laramie treaties of 1851 and 1868 are upheld by the federal government.

• Both Cheyenne and Arapaho administrations’ election boards are separately accepting candidacy filings and voter registration forms.


CONCHO, Okla. – Despite the filing period opening up, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are still waiting to see whether the federal government will conduct or observe its 2013 election.

On April 30, the election commission affiliated with Leslie Wandrie-Harjo’s government received a written request from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Concho Agency to submit operational documentation from the tribes’ previous elections. On the advice of their attorney, the commissioners are working off of copies of the original documents, which are locked up in the tribes’ complex in Concho, Okla.

“The people are demanding an answer,” Speaker Jane Nightwalker said. “I have even had some of my constituents say we should remove folks if we don’t have a fair election. We just want to settle this in a peaceful manner. We don’t want physical altercations – that’s what we want to avoid.”

As per the tribes’ constitution, the candidates’ filing period began May 1 and closes June 1. The primary election is scheduled for Oct. 8 and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 5. Along with four legislative positions, the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are up for election this year.

Wandrie-Harjo’s government submitted a written request in January for the BIA to conduct the election. Last fall, the tribal council recognized by Janice Prairie Chief-Boswell, passed a similar resolution to ask the Department of Interior to conduct the election. A resolution to rescind that request was tabled at a special tribal council meeting March 3 in Hammon, Okla.

The constitutionally-bound tribes have been dealing with a leadership schism for more than two years. Multiple appeals on the split and its implications are pending before the Interior Board of Indian Appeals – including a third written request for response filed last month by the Wandrie-Harjo administration -- but no timeline has been given on a ruling.

In the interim, each administration’s election commission has sent out notices that as the constitutional election board, it is accepting candidacy filings and voter registration forms. The election commission affiliated with Prairie Chief-Boswell’s administration is working out of the tribes’ complex in Concho, Okla. The commission recognized by the Wandrie-Harjo administration has an office in El Reno, Okla., and a post office box in Weatherford, Okla.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Prairie Chief-Boswell’s administration did not respond to requests for comment.

Leslie Wandrie-Harjo’s (left) government submitted a written request in January for the BIA to conduct the election. Last fall, the tribal council recognized by Janice Prairie Chief-Boswell, right, passed a similar resolution to ask the Department of Interior to conduct the election. The two women were once political allies and were elected together to lead the Tribes.

TULSA, Okla. – For the ninth year, Tulsa Indian Club will kill two birds with one stone over Memorial Day weekend: promoting a healthy lifestyle and fundraising for its annual powwow.

“The powwow is a pretty large event, so fundraising and sponsorship are important,” Tulsa Indian Club member and race coordinator Robert Anquoe said. “We decided to do this a few years ago as a way to fundraise and get support for the event.”

Named for the Kiowa word for wonderful or “I feel good,” the Day-Ohn-Day 5K and 10K will start at Mohawk Park’s Shelter No. 3 at 5701 E. 36th St. North on May 25. The proceeds will go to one of Tulsa’s oldest continuous Native American cultural events, the 61st annual Tulsa Powwow, scheduled for July 27-28 at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds.

“This is a way to promote a healthy lifestyle and offer encouragement to live that way,” Anquoe said. “It’s an opportunity to come out, walk or run and hopefully get a routine going of eating right and exercising.”

With participation increasing every year, more than 325 runners and walkers participated in last year’s Day-Ohn-Day run, making it the largest turnout in the event’s history. Last year’s race was also the first to feature a 10K.           

Race pre-registration is available online at dayohnday.eventbrite.com through May 22. Participants may also register in person May 20-24 at Runners’ World at 4329 S. Peoria Ave., or starting at 6:30 a.m. on race day. Pre-registration is $25 for 5K and one-mile fun run participants and $30 for 10K participants. Fees increase by $5 for race day runners. Due to liability concerns, strollers are not allowed in any of the races.

Along with standard age divisions, the race also has a separate division for tribal and powwow royalty and will once again feature the Chief’s Challenge for tribal leaders who walk or run in one of the races. Team awards will also be presented to the tribe or organization with the most entrants.

For more info on the Tulsa Powwow, visit http://tulsapowwow.org




Participants in the 2012 Princess Challenge line up for a group photo at race end. Autumn Only A Chief,  2012 Pawnee Nation Princess, second from right,  is the reigning champion.

PHOTO COURTESY TULSA INDIAN CLUB

With the diabetes epidemic in mind, two north central Oklahoma tribes are partnering to provide fresh, healthy food for its citizens later this year, starting with their summer powwows.

Frybread. Corn soup. Kanuchi. Grape dumplings. Fried baloney. Dried buffalo meat.

Where there is a powwow, there is food. Just like in the rest of society, some of it is healthy and some is not.

With Natives more than twice as likely as the rest of the population to develop diabetes, Michelle Goss, a registered dietician at the Three Rivers Clinic in Muskogee, Okla., encourages her clients to look for those healthier options when hitting the powwow circuit and monitoring their carbohydrate intake.

“It’s not so much avoiding certain dishes as it is exercising moderation whenever possible,” she said.

Among the powwow staples that may require diabetics and dieters to exercise some restraint is frybread. Made with flour, salt, sugar and water and fried in either oil or lard, the average piece of frybread has about 25 grams of fat in it.

“We don’t want to say avoid, but limit,” Goss said. “That one (frybread) is definitely one to limit.”

Instead of loading up a plate full of hog meat, frybread and grape dumplings, healthier potential serving options include corn soup, venison, wild mushrooms and poke salad.

“With any kind of serving line, it’s all about monitoring the portions if you have that control,” Goss said. “The thing to keep in mind as well is if there is more choice of vegetables, go for vegetable dishes if possible.”

With the diabetes epidemic in mind, two north central Oklahoma tribes are partnering to provide fresh, healthy food for its citizens later this year, starting with their summer powwows.

Based out of in White Eagle, Okla., and Red Rock, Okla., respectively, the Ponca and Otoe-Missouria tribes have headquarters within 20 miles of each other off of US Highway 177 and have a combined enrollment of about 7000 citizens. Most of the two tribes’ jurisdictional areas are considered to be within food deserts, with the nearest grocery store at least 10 miles away by car in Ponca City, Okla., Tonkawa, Okla., or Perry, Okla.

In March, the two tribes received a joint grant from the Native American Young Beginning and Small Enterprise Center. Along with agricultural education programs for the tribes’ youth, the grant also funds a joint one-acre plasticulture garden. Plasticulture refers to the practice of farming with plastic materials, such as irrigation tubes, mulch film, soil fumigation film and plastic mulch.

“A joint venture like this is kind of rare and we are trying to overcome that,” said Amos Hinton, agricultural director for the Ponca Tribe. “We want to raise awareness about nutrition and healthy eating.

“Last year, we had 30 or 40 tribal members younger than 40 die. We’ve got to change our health and our eating habits.”

Along with NAYBSEC, the tribes are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Agriculture Extension Office at Oklahoma State University to get the garden started. Tomato, sweet corn, okra and green beans were planted in early April with the goal of serving some of the produce at the tribes’ powwows this summer and the rest going to the tribes’ Head Start and senior nutrition programs.

“It’s documented that Otoe-Missouria people historically raised crops such as corn, squash, and beans for food sources,” Otoe-Missouria Council second member Melanie Harder said. “I am excited we are taking part in a project that will help us restore our connection to growing healthy foods. We will be able not only to produce fresh, culturally appropriate foods, but also to provide learning experiences, exercise and inter-generational interaction for all participants.”

The 132nd Otoe-Missouria Encampment is scheduled for July 18-21 at the tribe’s dancing grounds, about 20 miles north of Stillwater, Okla., off of US Highway 177. Admission is free and average annual attendance is about 3,000 people over the three days.

The 137th annual Ponca Homecoming Powwow is scheduled for Aug. 22-25 at the White Eagle powwow grounds, located five miles south of Ponca City, Okla., along US Highway 177.



Among the powwow staples that may require diabetics and dieters to exercise some restraint is frybread. Made with flour, salt, sugar and water and fried in either oil or lard, the average piece of frybread has about 25 grams of fat in it.

Kansas Begaye Crowned 2013 Miss Indian World at 30th Annual Gathering of Nations


ALBUQUERQUE – Kansas Begaye from Rio Rancho, N.M., and citizen of the Navajo Diné Nation was crowned Miss Indian World at the 30th Annual Gathering of Nations, the most prominent Native American powwow in the world.  Begaye received the honor out of 16 Native American women representing their different tribes and traditions who competed in the areas of tribal knowledge, dancing ability, public speaking, and personality assessment.  She graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2011.

“Miss Indian World is one of the most prestigious honors in the Native American and indigenous world and the winner will serve as a role model for all Native Americans.  Begaye will travel the world educating others about tribal and cultural traditions, and bring together Native and Indigenous people,” said Melonie Mathews, coordinator of the Miss Indian World Pageant.

Begaye, who is 24 years old, will travel to many Native and Indigenous communities around the world on behalf of the powwow.  She is the daughter of Dorothy and Leonard Begaye.  As Miss Indian World, she will represent all native and indigenous people as a cultural goodwill ambassador for one year.

Brittany Clause, 22 years old from Six Nations, Canada, and a citizen of Cayuga Nation of Iroquois Confederacy was named first runner-up at the pageant.  She is currently attending Buffalo State University in Buffalo, New York.  Yonenyakenht Jesse Brant, 25 years old from Six Nations, Canada, and citizen of the Mohawk and Turtle Clan tribes was named second runner-up.  She graduated from George Brown College in Toronto, Canada in 2009.  In the case that Miss Indian World cannot fulfill her responsibilities, the first runner-up will take her place.  If the first runner-up is unable to fulfill her duties after having taken over for Miss Indian World, the second runner-up will take her place.

Kansas Begaye accepts the Miss Indian World crown Saturday night in Albuquerque.

Photo Courtesy Gathering of Nations

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – A landowner trying to sell a portion of the Wounded Knee National Historic landmark in South Dakota said Monday he has three offers from West Coast-based investment groups for the land that sits adjacent to where about 150 of the 300 Lakota men, women and children killed by the 7th Cavalry in 1890 are buried.

But James Czywczynski told The Associated Press that he is giving the Oglala Sioux Tribe until May 1 to make an offer on the40-acre parcel before he opens it up to outside buyers. Czywczynski would not give details on the groups, nor what they intend to do with the land, but said they are willing to pay the full $3.9 million asking price.

“I cannot do anything until May 1 because I have allowed the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Wounded Knee Survivors Association the opportunity to purchase this property first because that is what I and my family would like to see it in their hands. Otherwise we’re going to advertise it nationally and internationally and get the best price we can,” said Czywczynski, whose family has owned the land since 1968.

The Wounded Knee National Historic landmark comprises 870 acres.

Along with its proximity to the burial grounds, the land includes the site of a former trading post burned down during the 1973 Wounded Knee uprising, in which hundreds of American Indian Movement protesters occupied the town built at the site of the 1890 massacre. The 71-day standoff that left two tribal members dead and a federal agent seriously wounded is credited with raising awareness about Native American struggles and giving rise to a wider protest movement that lasted the rest of the decade.

Czywczynski, who also is trying to sell another 40-acre piece of nearby land to the tribe for $1 million, said he hopes the tribe sees the value the land could add in terms of jobs and economic development to the impoverished reservation. Some tribal members think the land around the massacre site should be developed into a tourist attraction while others are adamantly opposed to it.

Wounded Knee tribal council member Kevin Yellow Bird Steele said the tribe has money to purchase the land but believes the asking price is too high. The land has been appraised at less than $7,000.

Paying $3.9 million for the land would “detrimentally affect the rest of the land base around there,” Yellow bird Steele said. “If they did buy it for that price, then all the other land value would go up and that’s what they don’t want to do right now.”

FILE PHOTO

LAS VEGAS (AP) – In a windowless conference room in a Las Vegas casino, about three dozen people are swishing their fingers across iPads, trying out test versions of new apps and screening for glitches.

But these are no Silicon Valley techies in town for one of the city’s massive electronics shows. Many are from far-flung American Indian reservations, and their high-tech devices are serving a decidedly old-school purpose: trying to save their languages from the brink of extinction.

Experts say a growing number of tribes are trying to revitalize their languages, which in some cases are spoken by only a small handful of people. And increasingly, they’re enlisting technology in the effort.

“We’re in a race against time,” said Lewis “Bleu” St. Cyr, 26, who attended the February workshop to scope out the possibility of developing a language learning app for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. “The goal is for younger kids to get interested.”

Linguists estimate about 200 Native American languages are spoken in the U.S. and Canada, with another 100 already extinct. In the early 1990s, experts estimated only 11 percent of tribal languages were still being passed traditionally from parents to children. The bulk of the surviving languages were spoken only by tribal members who were middle-aged or older.

Today, most tribes across the country are making some type of effort toward a language comeback, according to Leanne Hinton, a Berkeley linguistics professor and board member of the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival.

Those efforts include everything from apprenticeship programs that pair a fluent elder with a student, to immersion school programs. Many also incorporate technology such as YouTube videos of native speakers or Google Hangout video chats for live, long-distance conversations.

St. Cyr, who serves as media specialist for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s Ho-Chunk Renaissance Program, says he’s always on the lookout for creative ways to bring the Ho-Chunk language back to life. So far, he’s worked up a language quiz game based on the show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” and has been using Facebook and YouTube videos to get young people engaged.

“The world is moving so fast with technology, and our youth are the ones who are going to carry the language on,” he said. “I think it’s received pretty well.”

The Ho-Chunk language-learning app is the latest idea he’s brought to the table. If tribal leaders give the OK, the tool could be circulated among the approximately 2,600 tribal members who live on the reservation, as well as those who have moved away.

Such apps are advantageous because they use technology that most young people already are well-acquainted with, said Don Thornton, whose Las Vegas-based tech company staged the February workshop.

Thornton Media is recognized as a leader in the tech side of indigenous language revitalization, developing translation devices, talking toys programmed in native languages and other tools over its 17-year lifespan. But Thornton says the biggest success has been custom apps for iPads and iPhones.

“It’s the most flexible,” he said. “Distribution is unlimited.”

Since their first app teaching Cherokee came out in the iTunes store in 2009, Thornton says he and his wife have worked with 170 different tribes, representing 70 or 80 languages.

For about $22,000 plus the cost of travel, company employees will fly out to a tribe, record native speakers, and program the language into a 500-word or phrase app in about four days. They also can incorporate traditional songs and historical photographs.

While many tribes seem to be embracing the technology, the response wasn’t always enthusiastic.

“When we started out, there was hesitance to use technology,” Thornton said. “Sometimes people said it was the wrong way to go, that we should go straight through elders.”

The company’s next goal is to develop a video game that would require players to use a native language to survive in a virtual world. The first edition would be in Cherokee, which the Census Bureau estimates is spoken by about 12,000 people ages 5 and up.

Language revitalization advocates say they applaud the new technology, but note it’s just one part of broader efforts that could include mentorship, classes and a community commitment to using tribal languages in daily life.

“It can be a very powerful tool in helping revive or revitalize endangered languages,” said Inee Slaughter, executive director of the Indigenous Language Institute based in Santa Fe, N.M. “What we caution is that these are purely tools, and they do not substitute for a person’s willpower and discipline to study and learn the language.”

Slaughter, whose organization holds seminars on tribal language education and researches best practices for teachers, said she’s witnessed a wave of interest in language renewal over the past two decades.

“It’s gaining momentum very, very quickly,” Slaughter said of the movement. “It’s growing, and it’s very encouraging.”

Experts point to the early- to mid-1970s as the effort’s start, and say it got a boost when the Native American Languages Act, passed in 1990, declared the U.S. was committed to ensuring the languages’ survival. Federal funding for revitalization projects was added in 1992, allowing tribes to apply for competitive grants.

Money can help speed up the efforts, allowing tribes to hire language teachers or pay for apps. The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians in California uses funds from its casino to pay for Luiseno language courses at nearby California State University, San Bernardino.

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, with its robust Ho-Chunk Renaissance program, also runs an award-winning economic development program and owns the WinnaVegas casino in Sloan, Iowa.

“There are definitely things you can do if you have more money,” Hinton said. “But I also see tribes with plenty of money that don’t do anything about language.”

The most important ingredient, experts say, is willpower, and a love for the language.

Louise Davis, who lives in northern California, is almost tearful when she describes hearing people using the language of her Pit River tribe in conversation for the first time. It happened years ago when an older man from another part of the state met up with her grandmother.

It was such a powerful, emotional experience that Davis is driven to use flashcards at home with her children and do whatever it takes to preserve the language.

“You can say things in our language that you can’t say in English,” she said.

Testing out a language app in February, she said she couldn’t wait to see it being used among young people in the tribe.

“To know your native language connects you to your community and your history,” Slaughter said. “In the long run you are helping your community ... retain that cultural identity.”

PHOTO COURTESY THORNTON MEDIA

A Thornton Media employee demonstrates in a YouTube video the process of recording a native speaker prior to programming the language into a 500-word or phrase app in about four days.

In their appeal to the Supreme Court, the prospective adoptive parents question the definition of a parent and whether a non-custodial parent can invoke ICWA to block the other parent’s attempt to place a child up for adoption.



WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in a case one attorney claims will “affect any interracial adoption of children.”

Justices  listened April 16 as  attorneys for Matt and Melanie Capobianco challenged the definitions and intent behind the Indian Child Welfare Act.

Passed in 1978 in response to the high percentage of Native American children taken from their families and placed up for adoption, ICWA allows tribes to intervene when a child who is either an enrolled tribal citizen or eligible for citizenship through at least one biological parent is placed up for adoption.

The argument stems from the Capobianco’s attempted adoption of “Baby Veronica,” a now three-year-old Cherokee girl. The South Carolina residents are not Native American.

“You are relegating that adoptive parents go to the back of the bus and wait in line if they can adopt,” Capobianco attorney Lisa Blatt said. “And you’re basically relegating the child to a piece of property with a sign that says ‘Indian, keep off. Do not disturb.’”

Blatt went on to conclude the case  outcome will have an impact on any interracial adoption.

Under ICWA, adoption placement preference is given to extended family members, members of the child’s tribe and Native American families from other tribes. The act also requires parents be thoroughly appraised of their custodial rights and only allow them to forfeit those rights before a judge.

Dusten Brown, Veronica’s biological father, is a Cherokee Nation citizen from Nowata, Okla. He was awarded custody of his daughter after a South Carolina family court denied the Capobiancos’ petition due to the terms of the ICWA. The couple appealed the decision to the South Carolina Court of Appeals, South Carolina Supreme Court and then the U.S. Supreme Court.

Shannon Jones, an attorney representing Brown in the case, said she has no doubt in her mind that Veronica is where she belongs.

“She is her daddy’s little girl,” Jones said April 15 during a conference call with reporters. “Her father is the one she goes to first. She is very bonded with him and has everything a little girl could want – grandparents living three miles down the road, a farm, pets.

“Since her father has taken custody, she’s learned about her Cherokee heritage and I can see how important that is to her. She’s very happy and extremely loved by her extended family.”

In their appeal to the Supreme Court, the prospective adoptive parents question the definition of a parent and whether a non-custodial parent can invoke ICWA to block the other parent’s attempt to place a child up for adoption. Under South Carolina law, Brown forfeited his parental rights when he did not provide financial support for the biological mother for the duration of her pregnancy or take steps to establish his paternity immediately after the child’s birth.

Brown’s attorneys maintain that he did not know when the child was born until he was served with adoption papers four months after her birth.

During oral arguments last week, Blatt argued that Brown and his family had no binding legal ties to the girl once Brown agreed to surrender custody to Veronica’s mother, Christy Maldonado. 

“There is no familial legal custodial parental relationship that either this father or his parents – or his extended family – had with this child,” Blatt said. “This adoption no more broke up an Indian family than (if) this Hispanic sole custodial mother had raised the child herself.”

While questioning Brown’s attorney Charles Rothfeld, Chief Justice John Roberts asked whether a minimum blood quantum exists to determine whether a child is sufficiently Indian to qualify for the protections afforded under ICWA.

“…is there at all a threshold before you can call, under the statute, a child an ‘Indian child,?” Roberts asked. “3/256ths?”

Dawn Ferrill, a Tulsa foster mother who circulated a petition to make changes to ICWA, described Veronica as mostly Hispanic and “barely 1 percent Cherokee,” according to a Tulsa World article published April 16.

The Cherokee Nation does not have a minimum blood quantum requirement but does require proof of direct lineal descent from at least one person on the Dawes Rolls, which are lists of Cherokee Nation citizens compiled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Chrissi Nimmo, Cherokee Nation assistant attorney general, was in Washington to hear the oral arguments. She told the Tulsa World it wasn’t a matter of percentages.

“Just as someone can’t be 1 percent United States citizen,” she said, “one can’t be 1 percent Cherokee citizen.”

Despite having attorneys present and intervening at the trial level to help Brown regain custody, the Cherokee Nation was not allowed to participate in last week’s hearing.

A ruling is expected before the court recesses in June.           

Along with the Supreme Court challenge to the law, a group has submitted a petition with more than 23,000 signatures requesting Congress to amend ICWA to allow a child’s biological parents to choose their child’s adoptive parents, regardless of tribal affiliation. The group is also asking that the law take the child’s best interests into account, something ICWA’s supporters maintain is already done when the law is followed to the letter.

“The law was created to protect the best interest of children with our unique cultural needs in mind,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker said. “ICWA provides additional protection for our children.”

Veronica Brown

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – Actor Wes Studi is set to become the second Native American inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Great Western Performers in Oklahoma City.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the “Dances with Wolves” and “The Last of the Mohicans” star will be inducted Saturday with the late-film noir actor, Robert Mitchum.

The Arroyo Hondo resident is also known for his roles as the Apache leader in “Geronimo: An American Legend” and Navajo detective Joe Leaphorn in the made-for-TV movies based on mysteries by the late New Mexican writer Tony Hillerman.

The only other American Indian in the Hall of Great Western Performers is Jay Silverheels, a Canadian Mohawk First Nations actor known for playing Tonto in the 1950s television series “The Lone Ranger.”

Wes Studi

FILE PHOTO

LAS VEGAS (AP) – To watch a snippet of “The Lone Ranger” is to empathize with the stoic looks of concern its star, Johnny Depp, deadpans throughout the action film.

A white man playing Tonto, one of the most famous American Indian stereotypes of all time, might work. Then again, trouble might be coming.

In  director Gore Verbinski’s remake of the popular 1950s Western television series, Depp speaks in broken English, chants prayers, and wears feathers, face paint and – for some reason – a stuffed crow headdress.

But he also loses the subservience that helped make the original Tonto, played by a Canadian Mohawk, such a problematic sidekick to the masked hero.

The Disney remake has Tonto in the role of coach to John Reid, the idealistic law school graduate who finds himself out of his depth when he returns to his hometown and eventually becomes the Lone Ranger.

Verbinski framed the film as a buddy picture with a zany Western edge Wednesday during a teaser screening at the movie theater convention CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

“The movie is an origin story,” he said before showing about 20 minutes of material. “You’ll get a sense about the delicate partnership that’s arranged between these two guys, and their wildly diverse sense of justice.”

Armie Hammer, who plays the square-jawed ranger, made a brief appearance with Depp, who was in full movie-star mode, sporting a cowboy hat, four gold necklaces, expensively ripped jeans and a bandanna hanging to his knees.

“Armie is very tall. Which means that we’re not short,” Depp told the industry crowd.

“Anything to add to that?” Verbinski asked.

“No,” Depp responded, hoisting his microphone to the ceiling like a rock star and then strutting back off stage.

He might have been saving his voice for a fan question-and-answer session scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at a nearby Las Vegas theater.

At that appearance, the 49-year-old actor said he wanted his portrayal of Tonto “to give as much back to the human beings, the Native Americans as possible; to show that they have a fantastic sense of humor, very dry.”

“The goal was to try to, in my own small way, right the many wrongs that have been done to those people and to show Tonto not only as a proud warrior but also as a man outside, just a bit outside,” Depp said.

Verbinski also directed “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, and in “The Lone Ranger,” Depp appears to be reprising some elements of his flamboyant Jack Sparrow character, including what could be the same head scarf.

Depp is not quite donning “red face,” as he wears a mask of white and black paint through the film. That heavy eye makeup sets off the whites of his eyes, which he widens to comic effect when confronted with handcuffs, rifles and hurtling trains.

The film, set for release July 3, is Hollywood’s first attempt to modernize the Lone Ranger franchise, which has gathered dust for several generations.

Today’s viewers might not feel a shiver of recognition when John Reid’s brother tosses him a Texas Ranger pin, or when Tonto first calls him “kemosabe.”

And that might be a good thing.

As Tonto, Johnny Depp speaks in broken English, chant prayers and wears feathers, face paint and - for some reason - a stuffed crow headdress.
FILE PHOTO

Just a few hours after finishing her first Boston Marathon, Otoe-Missouria tribal member Marne Smiley, learned that her special day had taken a tragic turn.

“I was in the shower when it happened so I didn’t hear anything,” Smiley says. “We saw the news reports. There are 87 people in our running group and some of them barely missed the explosion by like 30 seconds. No one was injured, but it was still pretty emotional.”

Smiley is a professional cyclist by trade and a runner by choice. For the last 12 weeks she had been training for the Boston Marathon with a running group out of Chicago called Fleet Feet. At the time of the explosions she was in a VIP room with her running group at the Marriot Copley on Copley Square about a half a mile from the finish line.

“After the explosion, they just shut everything down,” Smiley says. “People weren’t allowed out on the streets. For hours, for hours they wouldn’t let us out of the hotel. They shut down the trains and streets. They were staging all of the emergency vehicles in front of our hotel.”

Smiley spent about five hours locked down in the hotel. She says that other hotels were evacuated as the fear of other bomb threats rose. According to the Associated Press, the FAA created a no-fly zone around the area and cell phone service was shut down to prevent any remote detonations. Smiley’s family back in Illinois and extended Otoe-Missouria family in Oklahoma had been tracking her online. She says she couldn’t get a hold of anyone for several hours to tell them she wasn’t injured.

“I had over 200 people trying to check on me,” Smiley says.” The phone lines were down. No one could call in or use their phone or use the internet. It was really frustrating.”

Smiley, who was staying at the home of a college friend in Boston, finally reached her destination at about 8 p.m. once the streets were reopened and the trains started running again. She says the events of the day were starting to sink in.

“I’m feeling pretty emotional and I know that I’m going to have a few tears and an emotional breakdown at some point,” Smiley says. “An eight-year-old kid is one of the ones that died! It sucks. It sucks. It’s supposed to be joyous. We got off the train like one stop early so I could get an ice cream. That’s my celebration! I’m joyful that I could even do it to begin with, but for that to happen is just crummy.”

Smiley was a runner in college and wanted to keep a 2:55 pace, but the notorious hills of the Boston Marathon took its toll on the athlete. Before the explosions, she was disappointed by her 3:07:34 finish. After the explosion, she contemplated running the race again.

“If I do run it again it won’t be based on the fact that there are evil people with evil intentions, it will be based on the fact that I just want go out there and have a better race because that’s what it’s about,” Smiley says. “It’s about the race. It’s about the people. It’s about the city. There are bad things that happen all the time and if I set my life around that, I wouldn’t be anywhere.”

Marne Smiley

Prior to Monday night’s draft, Tahnee Robinson was the only enrolled tribal citizen to be drafted by a WNBA team, with the Phoenix Mercury selecting her with the 31st pick of the 2011 draft.  One other Native woman, Navajo Nation citizen Ryneldi Becenti, played as a free agent with the Mercury in 1997.





TULSA, Okla. – Cherokee Nation citizen Angel Goodrich became the highest drafted Native American woman in WNBA history Monday night when she was selected in the 29th round by the Tulsa Shock.

“This means a lot,” she said. “Coming from a small town and an all-Indian school, this is something I’ve been dreaming about. “It is an honor to represent Natives like this.”

A graduate of Sequoyah High School in Tahlequah, Okla., Goodrich played collegiately at the University of Kansas and averaged 14 points and almost seven assists per game this season, leading the Jayhawks to a second consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance. Goodrich was a 2012-2013 first team All Big 12 selection and is the first Cherokee Nation citizen picked in the WNBA draft.

“The team that came up big in the third round is the Tulsa Shock,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said Monday night. “They came into tonight without a point guard. They got their starting guard in the first round and then picked up Angel Goodrich from Kansas.

“That kid has a real shot to make their roster.”

With their first round pick, the Shock selected University of Notre Dame point guard Skylar Diggins, a four-time All-American and two-time Big East Player of the Year. Diggins, whose team eliminated Goodrich’s Lady Jayhawks from the 2013 NCAA tournament, told Shock fans via Skype Monday night that she wants to take the team to the playoffs. The team has not qualified for the postseason since relocating from Detroit to Tulsa in 2010.

“I just want to go to Tulsa and do my job,” Diggins said. “I’m excited about this opportunity. I can’t believe I’m here.”

Prior to Monday night’s draft, Tahnee Robinson was the only enrolled tribal citizen to be drafted by a WNBA team, with the Phoenix Mercury selecting her with the 31st pick of the 2011 draft.  One other Native woman, Navajo Nation citizen Ryneldi Becenti, played as a free agent with the Mercury in 1997.

“Angel was the best available player at the time,” Shock coach Gary Kloppenburg said. “Yes, we took a point guard with our first round pick, but she can’t play all 40 minutes. We will need a back up.”

Training camp starts on May 5 and the Shock’s home opener is May 27 against the Washington Mystics. WNBA teams are limited to 11 active players on their roster. After Monday night’s draft, Tulsa has 13 women on its roster.

“This is the first time I’ve ever really had to try out for a team,” Goodrich said. “I do love a challenge. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I’m just going to go in there, work my tail off and leave it out on the court.”

Starting with the 2013 season, Osage Casino is the marquee sponsor of Tulsa’s WNBA team, making them the only tribally-owned entity to be a presenting sponsor of a professional sports team. The WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, based in Uncasville, Conn., is owned by the Mohegan Tribe and plays at the tribe’s Mohegan Sun casino. However, logos for the tribe and its casino do not appear on the team’s jerseys.

A citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a graduate of Sequoyah High School, Goodrich played collegiately at the University of Kansas and averaged 14 points and almost seven assists per game this season, leading the Jayhawks to a second consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance.

PHOTO COURTESY KANSAS ATHLETICS

MUSKOGEE, Okla. – Muscogee/Seminole/Cherokee artist Dana Tiger is inviting people to join a special online event and art sale to benefit the artist’s nonprofit organization.

Tiger and her talented husband, Donnie, started a nonprofit called the Legacy Cultural Learning Community in 2002.

Its mission is to use the arts to teach Native youth about their culture, heritage and history. For more than a decade, Legacy Cultural Learning Community’s programs have brought tribal elders and youth together, taught tribal traditions and languages, introduced art forms and education to countless Native youth throughout Oklahoma and helped increase communication, understanding and respect among people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Dana said she and her husband, as well as everyone at Legacy Cultural Learning Community, are determined to make 2013 their best year yet, with a little help. “I’m writing to ask you to please consider making a donation to the Legacy Cultural Learning Community today,” Dana said. “Supporting Legacy couldn’t be easier. Just visit our website at www.LegacyCLC.org for all the details.  There you can learn more about what Legacy does and the difference it makes. You can make a tax-deductible donation, become an official Legacy Sponsor or take advantage of our special art sale.”

Dana said the sale runs until May 3 and that she has decided to offer signed and numbered, limited edition prints of “They Ride Colorful Horses” & “Dancin Horses,” which are two of her newest paintings, at 50  percent off of their current retail value with all proceeds going to Legacy Cultural Learning Community.

Danda said general edition prints are also available. “Please see the ‘Art-For-Good’ page at the Legacy website for pictures and more information,” she said. “Any donation you make will help. We’ve already seen Legacy programs nurture numerous award-winning young artists, provide much-needed educational opportunities for participants and galvanize community involvement. Please help us keep it going.

For more information, visit www.LegacyCLC.org or www.TigerArtGallery.com or call Keyana “Shea” Simone at (619) 727-8727 or email sanettiwolf@gmail.com.

To donate by mail, please send a check to: Legacy Cultural Learning Community, c/o Tiger Art Gallery, 2110 E. Shawnee, Muskogee, OK 74403.

Dana Tiger paints in her Muskogee, Okla. studio.

COURTESY PHOTO

TULSA, Okla. – There’s one less vacant seat on the Greater Tulsa Indian Affairs Commission.

Robert Anquoe (Kiowa), current treasurer of the Tulsa Indian Club, was recently appointed to the GTIAC - an appointment he says carries great responsibility because there is little direct advocacy for the Indian community outside of the commission.

“The Indian community is a little quiet. We need to provide a voice to elected officials to bring to their attention some issues that affect the Indian community,” Anquoe said.

The commission consists of eight individual members and 15 member organizations. It serves an advisory function to the City of Tulsa in promoting the welfare and understanding of the city’s Native American communities. Currently, there are 19 commissioners.

According to Anquoe, the GTIAC was created about 43 years ago by his uncle, the late Kenneth Anquoe (one of the founders of the Tulsa Indian Club) and then mayor Dewey Bartlett Sr. (one of the founders of the Tulsa Indian Club) and then mayor Dewey Bartlett Sr.

One of the commission’s long-time issues has been Native American-themed mascots and other negative stereotypes of Native people. Members held forums for the community to attend and presented a Native perspective.

The GTIAC still looks at such long-standing issues, but it has also taken steps in recent years to impact Tulsa’s Indian community through programs of direct aid.

Sammy Haynes, Kiowa and Muscogee Creek, is an appointee of the Tulsa Indian Club (which hosts the annual Tulsa Powwow). Current GTIAC chairman, Haynes said the commission hopes to partner with the Alliance for Economic Inclusion, an initiative of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to bring financial planning workshops to better educate Indian families and individuals on fiscal planning. There is a great need to promote financial stability for Indian communities, especially in the current economic climate, Haynes said.

“Some (in the community) were never taught as kid,” Haynes said. “You have to think forward.”

The commission’s hopes include partnerships with banks and a credit union in addition to education and information accessibility.

Anquoe added that the commission can touch on issues of Native sovereignty, providing a much needed voice to city leaders regarding laws specific to tribes. He offered the example of the Kialegee Tribal Town’s steps to build a casino in Broken Arrow. The City of Broken Arrow supported area residents against the tribal town’s proposed Red Clay Casino. Construction has been halted by a preliminary injunction, but an appeal has been filed with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

He said he believes the City of Tulsa, as well as the county, could have offered to moderate discussions between all parties to work out a solution based on an understanding of law and priorities.

“The city council, both Tulsa County and Tulsa city, they really didn’t have a good idea of tribal governments, how they work, sovereignty, tribal lands as it pertains to trust property, restricted property.

They didn’t know how to deal with it in BA. It was really evident,” Anquoe said.

Anquoe is also hoping the commission will do more to encourage Native communities to vote and become active in government, tribal or not.

“Take the next step. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. Go up to those tribal governments and respectfully state your opinion. Be a part of the process. Learn about it. Educate yourself about that process,” he said.

The advocacy Anquoe wants could help the commission meet a just-as-significant challenge – making the community aware of the commission’s presence and its objectives.

Haynes said he wants the public to know GTIAC meetings are open to the public and anyone wishing to bring issues forward are welcome. This is especially important since Gov. Mary Fallin disbanded Oklahoma’s Indian Affairs Commission in 2011 and replaced it with a liaison.

“We want to create an awareness of the commission. It’s the last municipal and government commission still functioning,” Haynes said. “One of goals is to get the public aware and Native community aware that the commission exists and that we’re here to help wherever we can and facilitate or moderate a solution to an issue that any individual or organization may have.”

The next meeting is 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 16, in Tulsa City Hall, 175 E. 2nd Street, in the 2nd floor council chambers. For more information, call (918) 704-2200 or email gtaiacinfo@gmail.com.

To learn more details about GTIAC and its members, visit www.cityoftulsa.org.

Robert Anquoe

OKLAHOMA CITY – A story set in a tribal foster home is at the heart of the Native American New Play Festival, the annual two-week event of Native culture and theater arts in Oklahoma City.

Chalk in the Rain, a play by Bret Jones, anchors the festival hosted by Oklahoma City Theatre Company. It runs April 11-21 in the CitySpace Theatre of Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City.

Last year’s festival was such a success that organizers this year sought to add even more offerings to audiences this year, said Rachel Irick, OKC Theatre Company artistic director.

“Our goal is always to build bridges,” she said. “Since I’ve been doing this festival, I’ve been learning and learning, but we’ve always wanted it to do more. We hope to continue to give it over to as many Native American people as possible.”

The festival’s first weekend includes performances at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (April 11-13) and at 2 p.m. Sunday (April 14) of Chalk in the Rain.

Inspired by a newspaper article he read about his tribe’s foster home facing the threat of closure, Jones, Muskogee-Creek, said he set his play around a foster in the same circumstances.

In the play, a woman working for a radio station returns to the institution where she grew up when the station holds a fundraiser to benefit the home. As she remembers back to her time at the home, she thinks back to her roommate and a man there with whom she had a relationship and considers the choices she made as a resident and those made on her behalf.

The drama is recommended for viewers teen and up.

Originally from Lindsey, Okla., Jones is the program director for theater at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kans. He has written plays for more than 20 years - good stories in contemporary settings and dealing with Native identity.

Chalk in the Rain was one of three plays presented at the 2012 festival as staged readings. Of those readings, Jones’ work was chosen as this year’s main stage production.

“It’s certainly an honor,” Jones said. “I think it’s great that there’s a place in the middle of Indian Country down there that’s giving playwrights a chance to share their work. There aren’t a lot of places that really look at Native American theater. There aren’t a lot of theaters around willing to invest in theater like that.”

Irick said the OKC Theatre Company’s goal is to make the Native American New Play Festival a known success across the country and a must-see event special to Oklahoma.

“It’s meant a lot to me personally to learn a lot about Native American history in the time working on the festival, and I want others to have the same experience and appreciate what we have,” Irick said.

Several additions have been made to this year’s festival. Vickie Lynn Moodie will perform her one-woman monologue piece Sparrow at 8 p.m. April 18-20 prior to the performance of Chalk in the Rain. The piece commemorates the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 from Native American perspective.

The festival’s second weekend also features Caddo and Comanche singing as well as the staged readings of three plays being considered for full-stage treatment at next year’s festival. There will also be storytelling, a welcome reception and opportunities to meet the playwrights.

Tickets are $10 for Thursday’s opening night performance. They are $17-$20 for the remainder of the run. For a complete festival schedule or to purchase tickets, visit www.myticketoffice.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OKC THEATRE

Actors begin rehearsals for the staged readings at this year’s Native American New Play Festival, which opens Thursday at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall.

According to check copies obtained by the Native Times, the Boswell administration paid Universal Entertainment Group more than $6.8 million between April 2012 and January 2013 for technical assistance, legal services and other administrative costs tied with the website.


CONCHO, Okla. – After talks with state officials Friday, an Oklahoma tribe’s attempt to launch an online gaming site has been stopped – at least within the United States.

PokerTribes.com, a joint venture between the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and Universal Entertainment Group, was launched in June 2012. Originally billed as a free social networking site, PokerTribes and its corresponding mobile applications included explicit references to financial transactions, including a “Buy credits” button on its home page and content about refunds for inactive accounts in its terms of service page.

Under the terms of the agreement made with the state of Oklahoma April 5, the tribe will shut the site down domestically, but is allowed to operate it abroad pursuant to international standards. As of Saturday morning, April 6, the website has a “Coming soon” icon, links to news clips about the agreement and a posted estimated re-launch date of summer 2013.

Had the tribe not agreed to take the site down, the state of Oklahoma would have pursued enforcement action, including financial penalties.

Janice Prairie Chief-Boswell’s administration will not be fined by the state for the time the site was operational because tribal officials maintain that they believed the site was covered by its gaming compact. Signed in 2005, the Cheyenne and Arapaho compact extends to electronic instant and bonanza-style bingo games, electronic Class III games and non-house-banked card games in which the tribe does not have a vested interest in the game’s outcome, including tournaments and matches in which the tribe collects a fee for participating. The compact does not specifically mention online gaming. The tribe already owns and operates five Lucky Star casinos across its nine-county jurisdictional area in western Oklahoma.

“We’re not trying to fight,” Steve Mullins, general counsel for Gov. Mary Fallin, told the Daily Oklahoman. “We’re trying to resolve.”

State officials also maintained that the interpretation applies to other tribes with gaming interests.

When contacted by the Native Times about the site on March 26, a representative for the state of Oklahoma’s Tribal Gaming Compliance Unit said it was his understanding that as long as the site was simply a free social networking site that did not accept cash play. After being shown the site’s terms of use, which made explicit reference to financial transactions within the site, the Tribal Gaming Compliance Unit deferred to the governor’s office.

Calls and emails to Gov. Fallin’s office and the office of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt were not returned.

Despite having $6.4 million in assets under the administration of a Custer County, Okla., district court judge due to a leadership dispute, according to check copies obtained by the Native Times, the Boswell administration paid Universal Entertainment Group more than $6.8 million between April 2012 and January 2013 for technical assistance, legal services and other administrative costs tied with the website.

With more than 12,000 enrolled citizens, the tribe has been embroiled in a constitutional crisis for more than two years with two women, Prairie Chief-Boswell and Leslie Wandrie-Harjo, each claiming to be the legitimate governor.

The Boswell administration also signed a new tobacco compact with the state Friday. Starting July 1, Cheyenne and Arapaho smoke shops will charge the full $1.03 excise tax on cigarettes, with half of that money being remitted to the state of Oklahoma. Under the expiring compact, the two smoke shops were charging $0.515 per pack.

The Cheyenne and Arapaho is the second to renew its tobacco compact this year with 27 more set to expire on June 30. More than 20 tribal leaders have submitted a formal written request for an extension to Gov. Fallin’s office.